The courts were named after the local tennis player, Zenzo Shimizu, who hailed from Misato Town in Takasaki City. In the aim of passing on the legacy of his achievements to future generations, and with the hope of being admired by the children of Takasaki as a hallowed ground for tennis, the courts we named the “Shimizu Zenzo Memorial Tennis Courts”.

In 1920, Zenzo Shimizu became the first Japanese tennis player to compete at one of the 4 International Grand Slam tournaments, The Championships, Wimbledon, where he faced the American player Bill Tilden in the semi-final, who many said was the best player in the world at the time. Shimizu played an easy-to-return ball after his opponent had slipped following a shot, and in doing so, conveyed the message of the Japanese Fair-play spirit to the world. This episode is often found in school textbooks, and he became well known thanks to this. To this day, tennis tournaments are still held in his name, keeping his legacy alive.

Including the main court, there is a total of 21 semi-hard courts. The courts are finished in the same colour scheme as the courts at the US open, one of the 4 Grand Slam venues, with blue inner-courts and green outer-courts. On the main court, the fixed seating can accommodate up to 300 viewers, whilst the grass banks can accommodate over 700 viewers, giving a total viewing capacity of approximately 1000 viewers.
In addition, there is a 2-storey steel-framed clubhouse, where you will find a commemorative exhibition full of pictures of Zenzo Shimizu and other memorabilia, such as actual tournament programs. The 4 courts, primarily used for semi-final matches, are fully lit for night time play and there is also viewing deck which stretches about 100 metres.